On Sunday, reports emerged about the abduction of a young woman in Nigeria, attributed to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants.
In response to the escalating violence, the government of Bauchi state has decided to close all schools—both public and private—as a preventive action.
Recently, a group of 13 teenage girls, aged between 15 and 20, who were working on farms in Askira Uba district of Borno state, were kidnapped. They were taken while they were harvesting crops. While one girl managed to escape and return to her family, the status of the others remains uncertain as of Monday afternoon.
Local government officials indicated that the kidnappers could either be Boko Haram or ISWAP, though police in Borno mentioned that the “details are still sketchy.”
The incident in Askira Uba was part of a troubling trend of kidnappings and violent attacks that have marked recent weeks. One of the largest assaults happened on Friday in central Nigeria, involving armed “bandits” who abducted over 300 students from St. Mary’s Catholic School in the Niger Central Region.
Out of those taken from St. Mary’s, 50 students managed to escape, aided by local farmers, as reported by school officials.
Just five days earlier, another group of “bandits” kidnapped 25 girls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, while another violent incident resulted in the death of a church pastor in rural Kwara State.
On Monday, the Bauchi state government announced the immediate closure of all elementary, middle, and high schools, both public and private. Although hesitant to make such a drastic move, officials stated, “protecting children remains our highest moral responsibility.”
“Every student in Bauchi State deserves to learn in a safe, stable, and fear-free environment. We urge parents, guardians, school administrators, and all stakeholders to remain calm and cooperative,” the state government advised.
They further assured that the government is collaborating closely with security forces to address safety concerns promptly, aiming to resume academic activities as soon as possible.
In other regions, including Papiri State, where St. Mary’s Catholic School is located, officials had previously ordered the school to close due to a “credible” security threat; however, it had reopened without authorization before the mass abduction.
The Nigerian Federal Government has also directed the closure of 47 federal universities in northern Nigeria. Other states are instructing boarding schools to send students home as well.
Mr. Ahmed Usman, the Special Assistant to the Governor of Sokoto State, expressed his disapproval of the school closures, describing them as a “serious setback” to education. He argued that such measures could inadvertently empower criminals by indicating vulnerability within the system.
“The government should instead rise to the occasion and tackle insecurity in the area and the country, possibly through a combination of kinetic and non-kinetic strategies,” stated Usman, who has a military background.
The editorial of a Nigerian business publication dubbed Sunday’s developments a “difficult new chapter” in a “prolonged struggle against insecurity.” It criticized the decision to close schools rather than improve security measures, suggesting it reflects the inability of officials to guarantee student safety.
